


Slow Down

by starlight_brigade



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Gen, Platonic Relationships, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 16:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14429574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_brigade/pseuds/starlight_brigade
Summary: Dan hasn't slept in... a while. Arin notices.





	Slow Down

**Author's Note:**

> (This was a request fill from my [tumblr](http://danfics.tumblr.com/))

Dan had always been a generally happy guy as long as Arin had known him. Having been at emotional rock-bottom in the past, it was easy for him to see the good things in life and appreciate them. And, knowing how it felt, he did his best to lift the mood of those around him, helping others out of the same situation in which he had been. It was truly inspiring, and Arin had him to thank for catalyzing so much positivity in himself. It was contagious.

He was a human, though, and, as is the case for all humans, their lives have ups and downs, good times and bad. Arin had witnessed their effect. But he always bounced back.

 _Almost_ always.

Dan also had a tendency to overwork himself. He was passionate about his livelihood — a hard thing to blame him on, seeing as he was living his dream — but sometimes his passion bordered on obsession, his perfectionism getting in the way of his personal life and his general comfort and happiness. Sometimes, it seemed, the thing that made him the happiest was also the thing that wore him down the most.

He said he was okay, but he always said that. Usually it was true; he was experiencing life the way it came to him and the tide would turn again soon. But he had been saying he was okay for nearly a week now, and it hadn’t been showing. Something was wrong.

“Hey buddy,” Arin cooed, approaching Dan, who was face-down, halfway on a table in the Grump Space kitchen.

It was a delayed reaction as Arin took a seat next to him, and Dan rose a little, the tiniest bit of energy obviously a concentrated effort. “Hey man,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair and ruffling it.

“You wanna play Dead Rising?” Arin asked this mostly as a test; a show of excitement or genuine happiness would solidify that this was indeed a phase (albeit longer than normal) that he would get over. If not…

Dan’s lethargic smile was expressed as more of a grimace. “Yeah, sounds cool.”

…There was something wrong.

“You okay man?” Arin asked as Dan avoided his gaze, eyes either wandering or closing completely. “Usually you would be super psyched for Dead Rising. What’s goin’ on?”

“I am,” Dan lied, balancing his head on one hand while leaning farther across the table than was probably necessary.

Arin sighed in frustration. “If there’s something going on, you gotta tell me. For your sake and for mine.” He placed his hand on Dan’s shoulder comfortingly. “I worry about you dude.”

“Don’t,” Dan admonished, slowly relaxing to the more horizontal position in which he started this interaction, “If there was something wrong, I promise I would tell you.”

Arin made a face. “Tell me who it is. Who did this to you?”

“Nobody.”

“I’ll fuck ‘em up. Swear to god.”

Dan laughed genuinely for the first time in what felt like a long time. “It’s nobody! I’m fine. It’s fine.” He sighed and sat up, leaning his head against the wall behind him. “Just tired, is all.”

This was a familiar statement. “How much you been sleeping?”

“Uh…” Dan hesitated, both concentrated in trying to remember the last time he actually slept, and because, the longer he thought and the less he could remember, he knew that the answer would spark more worry. “Last night I think I fell asleep for like.. an hour? And then before that…? I don’t remember…”

“Dan…”

“I already know what you’re gonna say dude, and trust me, I wish it were that easy.” Dan’s eyes easily drifted close with a deep exhale. “I just can’t… stop it. I can’t turn it off.”

“Listen man, do what you need to do,” Dan struggled to lift the heavy weight of his eyelids to look at his lecturer. “But I’m telling you, if you need to go home and get some rest, please for the love of god do it!” Arin said, his delivery dramatic, but his sentiment accurate. “Because I love you and I care about you as a friend… and also because the episodes are gonna be super shitty if you’re like this the whole time.”

Dan let out a short breath that might have been a laugh if there had been any energy behind it. “Thanks.”

Arin rose from his seat and extended his arm to Dan, who took it and pulled himself to his feet. “Go home. Seriously.”

Dan just nodded in response as he started on his way to the exit.

“And hey,” Arin called after him, “text me when you get home so that I know you didn’t fall asleep behind the wheel and die?”

Dan let out another breathy laugh. “Sure thing, buddy.”


End file.
